Photos by Competition and Team
South Melbourne earned the nickname ‘the Swans’ because of the number of interstate, especially Western Australian, players in the 1933 Premiership team. It is ironic that the team with the foreigner’s nickname became the VFL’s first interstate team when the financially troubled South Melbourne found a new home and a renewed life in Sydney in 1982.
South Melbourne was a middle class suburb directly south of Melbourne’s CBD. From the 1950’s to 1970s, while Melbourne’s outer suburbs dramatically expanded, South Melbourne was one of the inner suburbs that experienced a decline. The area became home to a number of Housing commission projects. The 1980’s revival of the area came too late to affect the fortunes of the club.
Founded in the 1870’s, the South Melbourne ‘Bloods’ won VFA success (1881, 1885, 1888, 1889, 1890) and were one of the eight founding VFL clubs in 1897. Two early VFL premierships (1909, 1918) were followed in the 1920’s by years in the middle of the table.
Financial support and leadership from 1933 club president, local supermarket baron and Member of Parliament, Archie Crofts led to an interstate player buying spree. South Melbourne’s ‘Foreign Legion’ provided club success with finals appearances from 1932-1936 as well as the 1933 premiership and Grand final losses in 1934, 1935 and 1936. 1933 would be the clubs last Premiership for 72 years when in today’s AFL, the Sydney Swans won premierships in 2005 and 2012.
Between 1937 and 1969 the club had only two finals appearances, the last, in 1945, culminating with the team’s loss to Carlton in the famous ‘bloodbath’ Grand Final. During this lean period the club continued to win Brownlow medals with Ron Clegg (1949), Fred Goldsmith (1955) and Bob Skilton (1959, 1963 & 1968) winning medals during this period.
1923 - 1931 White with Red Sash
1932 - 1986 White with Red V Neck
1982 - Team name changed from South Melbourne to "Sydney Swans"
South Melbourne Team Photos
Reference_ South Melbourne Captains
Reference_South Melbourne Senior Team Coaches
Reference_ South Melbourne Best and Fairest
Reference_ South Melbourne Leading Goal Kicker
Reference_ South Melbourne Team of The Century
Reference_ South Melbourne Foreign Legion
Reference_ 1933 VFL Grand Final
Reference_ 1945 VFL Grand Final - The Bloodbath
Reference_ 1935 Richmond v South Melbourne - First Pre-season Night Game
http://afltables.com/afl/afl_index.html
The 1932-33 Foreign Legion
FOOTBALL FLASHBACK: WHEN A GREAT FOREIGN LEGION CAME TO SOUTH. (1950, June 3). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 8 Supplement: Weekend Magazine. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22833165
http://www.flickr.com/groups/sydneyswans/
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/forums/sydney.29/
Table of contents
Introduction
1950 Argus Badges
South Melbourne earned the nickname ‘the Swans’ because of the number of interstate, especially Western Australian, players in the 1933 Premiership team. It is ironic that the team with the foreigner’s nickname became the VFL’s first interstate team when the financially troubled South Melbourne found a new home and a renewed life in Sydney in 1982.
South Melbourne was a middle class suburb directly south of Melbourne’s CBD. From the 1950’s to 1970s, while Melbourne’s outer suburbs dramatically expanded, South Melbourne was one of the inner suburbs that experienced a decline. The area became home to a number of Housing commission projects. The 1980’s revival of the area came too late to affect the fortunes of the club.
Founded in the 1870’s, the South Melbourne ‘Bloods’ won VFA success (1881, 1885, 1888, 1889, 1890) and were one of the eight founding VFL clubs in 1897. Two early VFL premierships (1909, 1918) were followed in the 1920’s by years in the middle of the table.
Financial support and leadership from 1933 club president, local supermarket baron and Member of Parliament, Archie Crofts led to an interstate player buying spree. South Melbourne’s ‘Foreign Legion’ provided club success with finals appearances from 1932-1936 as well as the 1933 premiership and Grand final losses in 1934, 1935 and 1936. 1933 would be the clubs last Premiership for 72 years when in today’s AFL, the Sydney Swans won premierships in 2005 and 2012.
Between 1937 and 1969 the club had only two finals appearances, the last, in 1945, culminating with the team’s loss to Carlton in the famous ‘bloodbath’ Grand Final. During this lean period the club continued to win Brownlow medals with Ron Clegg (1949), Fred Goldsmith (1955) and Bob Skilton (1959, 1963 & 1968) winning medals during this period.
Team Name and Jumpers
Cgwil003 027 Sthmelb - Source: Australian Rules Football Cards
1923 - 1931 White with Red Sash
1932 - 1986 White with Red V Neck
1982 - Team name changed from South Melbourne to "Sydney Swans"
Team Photos
Photos by Charles Boyles
- wiki page:
- 122_044 - South Melbourne Youth Team late-forties early fifties
- 122_093 - South Melbourne Fourths 1957
- 122_102 - South Melbourne Thirds Team circa 1954
- 122_169 - South Melbourne Thirds Team circa 1954
- 122_356 - South Melbourne footballers basketball team
- South Melbourne Fourths 1957
- South Melbourne Past Players mid-late 1950s (SLV122_103)
- South Melbourne Seconds 1936c (SLV 122_042)
- South Melbourne Seconds 1948 (SLV 122_098)
- South Melbourne Seconds 1952c (SLV 122_094)
- South Melbourne Seconds 1953 (SLV 122_100)
- South Melbourne Seconds 1955c (SLV 122_101)
- South Melbourne Seconds 1958c (SLV 122_030)
- South Melbourne Senior Team 1930 R10 (SLV 122_092)
- South Melbourne Senior Team 1936 v1 (SLV 122_031)
- South Melbourne Senior Team 1936 v2 (SLV 122_033)
- South Melbourne Senior Team 1940 R3 (DG_058)
- South Melbourne Senior Team 1946 (SLV 122_097)
- South Melbourne Senior Team 1946 (SLV 122_230)
- South Melbourne Senior Team 1947 R12 - ITB
- South Melbourne Senior Team 1949 (SLV 122_229)
- South Melbourne Senior Team 1951 R04 (DG_059)
- South Melbourne Senior Team 1953 (SLV 122_032)
- South Melbourne Senior Team 1955 (SLV 122_170)
- South Melbourne Thirds 1949c (SLV 122_047)
- South Melbourne Thirds 1954c (SLV 122_099)
- South Melbourne Thirds 1954c (SLV 122_441)
Photos by Unknown/Other Photographers
South Melbourne Team Photos
Player Photos
- wiki page:
- 125_005 - Unidentified man wearing blazer with monogram
- Barry, Ron (SLV 122_222)
- Bywater, Ron (DG_047)
- Castles, Vic (DG_048)
- Cleary, Jim (DG_049)
- Cleary, Jim (SLV 122_029)
- Cleary, Jim (SLV 122_178)
- Clegg, Ron - ITB
- Clegg, Ron (DG_050)
- Clegg, Ron (SLV 122_013)
- Clegg, Ron (SLV 125_007)
- Dorgan, Jim - ITB
- Fox, Arthur (SLV 122_225)
- Gillet, Ian - ITB
- Graham, Jack (DG_051)
- Gunn, Bill (DG_052)
- Gunn, Billy - ITB
- Kelly, Brian (SLV 122_216)
- Killingsworth, F.E. 1939 (SLV 122_212)
- Killingsworth, F.E. 1939 (SLV 122_213)
- Killingsworth, F.E. 1939 (SLV 122_215)
- King, Bill (DG_053)
- Lane, Eddie - ITB
- Lane, Eddie (SLV 122_011)
- Lucas, Albert (SLV 122_220)
- Matlock, Bob (SLV 122_221)
- Matthews, Herbie (SLV 125_003)
- Matthews, Herbie (SLV 125_004)
- Nash, Laurie (DG_054)
- Nash, Laurie (SLV 122_012)
- Reville, Peter (SLV 122_218)
- Richards_Reg (DG_055)
- Ritchie, Rex (SLV 122_226)
- Schaefer, Keith (DG_056)
- Schaefer, Keith (SLV 122_223)
- Sheahan, Lol (SLV 122_016)
- Sheahan, Lol (SLV 122_423)
- Skilton, Bob (DG_057)
- Svenson, John - ITB
- Taylor, Jim - ITB
- Tippett, Peter (DG_060)
- Whitfield, Ted (SLV 122_217)
- Williams, Bill (DG_062)
- Williams, Billy - ITB
- Williams, Billy (SLV 122_224)
- Williams, Jack (DG_063)
- Williams, Les (SLV 122_227)
Lists
1933 Giant League and Association Colours
Reference_ South Melbourne Captains
Reference_South Melbourne Senior Team Coaches
Reference_ South Melbourne Best and Fairest
Reference_ South Melbourne Leading Goal Kicker
Reference_ South Melbourne Team of The Century
Reference_ South Melbourne Foreign Legion
Reference_ 1933 VFL Grand Final
Reference_ 1945 VFL Grand Final - The Bloodbath
Reference_ 1935 Richmond v South Melbourne - First Pre-season Night Game
Results during Charles Boyles Work Period 1925-63
For more extensive results (and source data for this table), seehttp://afltables.com/afl/afl_index.html
Home Grounds
Lake Oval, Albert Park 1878-1982Interesting News Stories
The 1932-33 Foreign Legion
FOOTBALL FLASHBACK: WHEN A GREAT FOREIGN LEGION CAME TO SOUTH. (1950, June 3). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 8 Supplement: Weekend Magazine. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22833165
Record Emerald Hill 13 Oct 1951 P1 Narrow Escape 600thumb
External Links
Wikipedia - Sydney Swanshttp://www.flickr.com/groups/sydneyswans/
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/forums/sydney.29/